Jesus the King, bringing his kingdom in all of its might to Jerusalem, rides into Jerusalem triumphantly… on a donkey. This is a testimony to how upside down the Kingdom of God was, and is, going to be. Most scholars, teachers, and scribes where waiting for the Messiah in hopes of overturning the wicked Roman government and setting up a Kingdom of God that put his people, specifically those of the house of David, on the throne. As soon as Jesus enters the Holy city, he retreats to Bethany, then comes back, and continues the back and forth journey a few times before he is drug back for the last time. Jesus, who has been overthrowing tables, whipping money changers, putting the religious hierarchy in their place, and challenging all to be ready for the coming Kingdom, is approached by one of the scribes who challenges the Teacher with a question: “Which commandment is the most important of all?”
Most who asked Jesus questions where looking for a way to trap the Teacher, but not this scribe. One can tell this by Jesus’ response. Jesus, who usually responds to the heart of the inquirer and not necessarily the inquiry, actually answers the question. He quotes the Torah and says “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord you God with all your heart and with all your strength.” Then Jesus takes the liberty to sum up the rest of the Law in his own words: “The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” Jesus’ response is affirmed by the scribe who basically says, “Good job Jesus. You’re so right. I totally think the same thing”, and he tosses in a Psalm reference to boot. When Jesus heard this wise response he says “You’re not far from the kingdom of God.”
The scribe must have felt really special. He had spent his life pouring over the scriptures, delving into the quarry of divine understanding, coming to conclusions, and actualizing ideas he perceived to be truth about who is God is. Jesus, the infamous Teacher, who had gained the adoration of the despondent, the trust of his disciples, and the scorn of the Pharisees had just given him the confirmation of all his suspicions about God. Out of all the religious investigators he received the ‘that-a-boy’ from God incarnate, but there was a little further in his journey he needed to go.
The ‘pat on the back-s’ his peers where giving him, the leers of the Pharisees, and the awe of the crowd was abruptly stopped when Jesus began to address the crowd again, and this time his teaching was aimed at the quick. It was his turn to ask questions and said “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David?” A great throng, according to Mark, heard him gladly. When no one would answer, he lays into the scribes and says, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” I’m sure this scribe who was ‘close to the Kingdom’ was in ear shot if not right next to the Teacher. What was he missing?
This scribe had an understanding in his head of who he believed the Lord his God to be, but didn’t let those believed truths penetrate his heart. His response to Jesus’ answer to his question should not have been “That’s right Jesus. I think the same thing”. It should have been “You Jesus are the Messiah, the Son of God, and my allegiance is with you”. To many times do we take revelation from the Word and think about how awesome we must be to come to such a lofty conclusion, instead of letting revelation inspire a humbling in our spirits before Jesus and heart filled worship to our King. The challenge is to take to Jesus what revelation we find in the scriptures, which bring us close to the Kingdom, and allow revelation to change our hearts, which brings us into the Kingdom.
– RA
splanchna (σπλάγχνα) 